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Sports Minister to meet SABC, PSL over broadcasting matches on radio

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Sports and Recreation Minister Tokozile Xasa is expected to convene a meeting with the SABC and the Premier Soccer League in the coming week over the public broadcaster’s decision not to air PSL matches on radio.

Millions of fans were disappointed when they couldn’t follow Saturday’s opening match of the new PSL season between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs on radio.

However, the public will be able to view the games on the SABC’s television platforms.

SABC Board Chairperson, Bongumusa Makhathini says they’ve held talks with the PSL but decided the broadcasting rights cost too much.

He says: “When you look at the cost of sport rights, they have been escalating beyond inflation and it has become unmanageable and unaffordable for us and as the SABC board with the executive directors we got to make sure that the commercial contracts that we entered to are making sense commercially and they are balanced. So where we are now the demands from the PSL are not fair to the SABC and as the board we cannot approve such.”

The SABC announced the decision on Friday after failing to reach consensus in talks with the PSL on a broadcasting deal. The public broadcaster has apologised to soccer fans but says it cannot conclude business deals which may compromise its business operations.

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